He’s 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, rushes the puck well and has an uncanny ability to get pucks through traffic to the net. There’s certainly a lot to like about defenseman Kevin Connauton, who is coming off an impressive first professional season and now is trying to raise eyebrows at the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, B.C.
Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks after his freshman season at Western Michigan University, Connauton wasn’t always considered NHL material by scouts; in fact he was passed over in his first draft-eligible season after putting up strong numbers in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Spruce Grove Saints (45 points in 56 games in 2007-08).